


Secret Soulmates

by out_of_nowhere



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Closing up that ending, Dry Humping, Friends to Lovers, Hopeful Ending, I'm not wrapping this up pretty like I usually do, Internal Conflict, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Open Relationships, Pining, Pre-Poly, Relationship Negotiation, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:27:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23752345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/out_of_nowhere/pseuds/out_of_nowhere
Summary: At 18 a tattoo appears on your body. Your soulmate wears its twin. When Link's tattoo appears, he knows exactly who wears its match, but he's not as happy about it as you would think.Now with new chapters! A jump in the future to how Link is handling life. Maybe with some hard work and communication they can find their version of a happy ending.
Relationships: Link Neal/Original Female Character(s), Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Matt Cohen
Comments: 97
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My muse has been flying fast and wild and all over the place lately. I started this MONTHS ago and last week after finishing Dragon Mate, this demanded my attention. So here it is, the soulmate au not a single person asked for. As always, thank you @criminalmind1927 for your wonderful beta work.

Link stood naked and staring at himself in the bathroom mirror. Eighteen more minutes and he would officially be eighteen. Then, after what felt like forever to Link, his tattoo would appear. He hoped it would be cool. Like a wolf or phoenix. As he waited the last few minutes before his soulmate tattoo would materialize, he wondered if he had already met his soulmate. It would make life easier. Watching his best friend eagerly inspect every new acquaintance's tattoo, hoping he had found the one, was amusing but he really hoped he wouldn't have to suffer through that.

As the last few moments passed, Link crossed his fingers that he would be one of the lucky ones and recognize immediately who had the match to his tattoo. His breath caught in his throat when his wish came true. He  _ did _ recognize the cockatrice that appeared on his hip. He had seen it many times before. On his best friend Rhett's chest. Suddenly feeling dizzy, Link collapsed on his bathroom floor. 

◇◇◇◇

Link was still in shock.  _ Rhett _ was his soulmate? It didn't even make sense. He wasn't gay. Rhett wasn't gay. They were good southern boys. Sure, same sex soulmates happened, but that didn't make it right. The church had been around since before the tattoos started appearing and the church said homosexuality was wrong. 

This couldn't be happening. And Rhett was coming over soon to celebrate his birthday. How was he going to avoid the questions? Avoiding showing him? Link sighed and stepped into the shower. 

He let the water hit his shoulders and run down his back, trying to let the warmth relax his muscles. Link was so confused. He had never heard of anyone staying platonic with their soulmate. Could he and Rhett be the first? Why would the universe do this to him? Even if he  _ did _ want to be with Rhett, and Rhett wanted to be with him, their families would never accept that. Universal involvement or not. 

He should probably talk to Rhett about it. But not yet. Not until he knew how to approach Rhett about it. Not until he knew himself how he felt about it. 

◇◇◇◇

Fortunately, Rhett hadn't pressed to see the tattoo. When Link got all flustered when Rhett had brought it up, Rhett assumed it was something embarrassing or girly and had just chuckled in that deep timbre of his and dropped it. 

Link let his fingers trace over the tattoo. It really was anything but embarrassing. He had researched what it was when Rhett's had appeared. A cockatrice. The body of a wyvern with the head of a rooster. He had been a little jealous when Rhett had gotten his. Now he was much less excited about it.

  * ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●



**Three Years Later**

This was it. Link was getting married. He couldn't believe he had actually found someone so young who was willing to marry him without even going to look for their soulmate. But Lucy insisted that the odds of actually finding her soulmate was lower than people liked to pretend to believe and she had no desire to spend half her life looking for someone she might not find. That suited Link just fine. 

He felt guilty, though, looking at his best man standing beside him. A huge grin lighting up his face and giving him a thumbs up when he glanced nervously in his direction. Rhett didn't even question if Lucy was Link's soulmate or not. Link wanted to marry her and Rhett supported Link no matter what. 

The worst part was watching Rhett continue to search. His face full of hope every time he met someone new. Link noticed, rather he pretended not to, that Rhett met men and women with equal fervor. Rhett wasn't gay, though. If anyone would know, it was Link. Maybe he would be okay if his soulmate ended up being platonic? 

Link reprimanded himself. Three years later and his thoughts were still traveling in the same never ending circles. He wanted to talk to Rhett about it, but after keeping such a big secret for so long, Link thought it was probably better to keep with the status quo. 

Link watched as a shadow of pain and longing flashed across Rhett's face before he noticed Link looking at him and broke out in a big, genuine grin. He was so obviously happy for Link. Link knew he didn't deserve his best friend. 

◇◇◇◇

  
  


A couple months after Link had returned from his honeymoon, Rhett had invited him over for a guy's night. After finishing off almost two entire pizzas, and a few too many beers each, they sat on the couch staring at the tv as the credits of the movie they just finished scrolled across the screen. 

Rhett let out a big sigh. "You're so lucky that you found Lucy so young. Now you don't have to worry about being alone."

Link swallowed, his throat catching on itself. "You don't have to be alone. You're a good looking guy, easy to get along with. I'm sure you could find a girl to marry you. And you've always got me. I'm not going anywhere."

Rhett smiled wistfully. "Most girls wait a while, holding out for their soulmate. Guys our age don't care as much, but this is South Carolina. Not a whole lotta gay guys around."

Link stared intently at the bottle in his hand. "You'd marry a guy? I didn't know you were into guys."

Rhett shrugged and took a swig of his beer. "Not really. But, I mean, if he was my soulmate then I wouldn't care if he was a guy. Know what I mean?" 

Before Link could formulate an answer, Rhett had leaned over and pressed their lips together. He froze, not sure what to do. After a few seconds of their lips simply being pressed together, Rhett pulled away. 

"I'm sorry. That-that wasn't fair." Rhett ran a worried hand through his hair. "Sometimes… God, I just- Sometimes I wish you were my soulmate," Rhett whispered, so low Link almost didn't hear him. "I shouldn't have done that," Rhett said, speaking louder. You have Lucy and you're happy. It's not your fault I haven't found my person yet."

"Right. Of course. Uh, don't worry about it, man." Link had never felt worse about anything in his life. His best friend, his  _ true _ soulmate didn't care that he was a guy. Or he wouldn't care, if he ever were to find out. And if his alcohol addled mind had heard right, Rhett  _ wanted _ Link to be his soulmate. 

But as much as Link hated himself for hiding the truth from Rhett, he just couldn't bring himself to reveal it. He didn't deserve someone like Rhett anyway. 

  * ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●



**Five Years Later**

Link was in shock. Lucy had left him. Despite the odds that had led to her acceptance of a wedding proposal, she had found her soulmate. And moved out that same evening. Now all her stuff was gone and he was sitting alone on his bed, tracing the tattoo on his hip.

He didn't even flinch when a loud knock sounded at his door. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Unfortunately, his plan to ignore whoever was at the door was shot when he heard a key in the lock. Fuck. That meant Rhett was there. His soulmate was possibly the last person Link wanted to see.

"Link?" Rhett called out. "Where you at, man? I know you're here." He started flipping lights on as he walked through the house. "Gotta case a beer, and a bottle of whiskey, in case that's not strong enough."

Too soon for Link's liking, Rhett opened the door to his bedroom and saw him curled in a ball on top of his covers. Rhett remained soundlessly slid onto the bed beside Link. "Why didn't you tell me?" Rhett asked, after a long silence. 

Link sighed. He knew what Rhett was asking. Why did he let Rhett assume that Lucy was his soulmate. "I'm gonna need some of that beer first."

Rhett nodded and got up, stopping at the doorway to make sure that Link was going to follow. Reluctantly, Link got out of bed and followed Rhett to the kitchen where he grabbed a couple beers and went to the couch while Rhett poured them each a shot. 

Rhett sat beside Link and handed him the small glass. "Dink it…"

Link sighed. "And sink it." The burn of the whiskey sliding down his throat felt like punishment for his ill-made choices and he reveled in the feeling. 

"So…" Rhett popped the top off his beer and sat back.

"So… Lucy." Link sighed again. "She was obviously never my soulmate."

Rhett snorted. " _ Obviously _ ."

Link rolled his eyes. "She figured the odds of actually meeting her soulmate was low, so she agreed to marry me and try to find a little happiness anyway."

"And you?" Rhett asked. "What about your soulmate? Even if you didn't want to look, all you had to do was show me your tattoo and I could keep my eyes open. You know I check every available person I come across."

Link grimaced. "Yeah, I know."

"What about it?" Rhett asked, getting defensive. "Heaven forbid I'm optimistic and want to find the person I'm meant to be with. Or that I'm willing to help you find your person. Such a terrible thing, I know." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. 

"It's just a romantic notion, Rhett. And what if the universe got something wrong?" Link asked, his tone practically begging Rhett to see his point of view. 

Rhett took a long drag on his beer. "I guess. But this system has been in place for  _ centuries _ . Wouldn't we have heard if the tattoos were wrong by now? The  _ couple _ of instances of people not working out are from so long ago. Everyone falls in love with their soulmate."

"Well, maybe I didn't," Link muttered, picking at the label on his bottle. 

"Wait.  _ Wait. _ " Rhett stared at Link in disbelief. "Are you telling me that you  _ know _ who your soulmate is?"

Link shrugged. 

"Well, who is it? Why didn't you tell me?" Rhett's voice was growing louder as he spoke. 

"Look, it doesn't matter, okay?" Link huffed. 

"Does your soulmate know? Did you at least tell them and decide together that it wouldn't work out?" Rhett continued to push. 

"No! No, Rhett, I didn't." Link was starting to get mad that Link wouldn't drop it and stood up and began pacing the room.

Rhett also stood, but didn't follow in Link's path, just watched him. "And  _ why not _ ?"

"Because it's YOU!" Link yelled at him. "You're my soulmate!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose Matt Cohen because I, like Rhett in this story, have a type lol. And I called his eye color blue-gray in this because sometimes they look blue, sometimes gray, and sometimes green. But blue-gray worked for the narrative. Don't @ me.

Rhett stormed out of Link's house without another word. Eight years.  _ Eight years _ Link had known that they were soulmates and had never breathed a word about it to him. 

Rhett thought back to Link's 18th birthday. At the time, he had thought Link was being shy about not showing him his tattoo because it was something silly like a snail, or an eyeball or something weird like that. Now that he realized that Link didn't show him because he didn't want Rhett to know they were soulmates, he felt deceived. 

His heart hurt thinking about how Link didn't want him. Once he had drunkenly told Link that he wished they were soulmates. Not because he was  _ in _ love with Link, but because he did love him. And they were such close friends, how much would really change with them being soulmates? They would live together and see each other even more than they already did? That didn't seem like such a bad thing to Rhett. 

But apparently it was a bad thing to Link. Rhett punched his steering wheel. He was so  _ mad _ . And hurt. And betrayed. 

◇◇◇◇

For the first time since they met in first grade, Rhett didn't talk to Link for a month. No calls, no texts, and he actively avoided places he knew Link frequented. Link didn't want to be soulmates? Then he didn't even want to talk to Link. 

Except that he did. Desperately. Even if he hadn't found out that Link was his soulmate, avoiding Link would be difficult. His anger at Link's rejection helped for a little while, but how do you suddenly ignore the existence of someone who's been in your life for almost as long as you can remember? There was a distinct Link shaped hole in Rhett's heart, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. 

But then Rhett would remember the times that he poured his heart out to Link. Rhett wishing he could find his soulmate, that he wasn't alone. Remembering the one time he had even admitted to Link that he wished the two of them were soulmates. And that  _ asshole _ hadn't said a word. 

Well, if Link didn't want him, he didn't want Link. 

◇◇◇◇

Rhett couldn't believe he was actually here, at a speed dating event for people whose soulmates had died. Link might not be dead, but his rejection amounted to the same thing for him. 

There was a mix of people there. Younger, older, male, female, and a decent mix of races. Rhett was glad that the people who sat and the people who switched tables were chosen at random and not divided automatically by gender. He had told Link once he didn't care what gender his soulmate was. Granted, at the time he didn't realize that  _ Link _ was his soulmate, but the not caring about gender still stood. He would agree to go out with anyone who caught his attention. 

About an hour into the event, someone most certainly did. A man probably five years or so younger than Rhett with dark tousled hair, blue-gray eyes, and a little shy of 6' tall sat down opposite Rhett. He was slack jawed as the second most attractive man he had ever seen, and yeah he was thinking he maybe had a type, smiled and introduced himself as Matt.

Unable to get his brain to work, Rhett eventually blurted out, "I'm sorry your soulmate died." Then he closed his eyes and made the biggest grimace ever. "Sorry, that was…"

Matt gave a sad smile. "It's okay. We had five great years together before the cancer took him. Two as friends, then three more after we found out we were soulmates. How about you? How long did you have?"

Rhett gave Matt his own sad smile. "Over twenty years. We met in first grade. We were best friends. Except… He never told me that we were soulmates. I found out on a fluke. He rejected me." Rhett hung his head to hide his grief. 

Matt reached across the table and placed his hand over Rhett's. "I'm sorry. That sounds worse than having a soulmate die. At least Scott and I were actually together before I lost him."

Rhett turned his hand over underneath Matt's to hold it in his. "Yeah, but at least I found out while I'm still young and can find happiness with someone who wants me." He gave Matt a shy smile. 

Matt squeezed his hand. "And I've no doubt there's someone out there who would be happy to have you in their life."

◇◇◇◇

Rhett likes Matt. Rhett  _ really _ likes Matt. He's smart, funny, and cute as hell. Plus, he gives a really mean blow job. He's not Link, despite their similarities, but he's understanding of Rhett when he has his melancholy days, pining over what never was. Rhett's pretty sure he doesn't deserve Matt. 

But Matt sticks around. Tells Rhett that he loves how kind Rhett is, how he's so big and makes him feel small and protected. They haven't said, "I love you," yet, but Rhett thinks it's coming. Maybe next week, on their six month anniversary. 

Rhett planned to take Matt to Bojangles. He hadn't been since the last time he saw Link, since he was avoiding Link's favorite places, and Matt had never eaten there, so it seemed like a good place to go for a half anniversary. Besides, what were the odds he'd see Link if he just went there once?

As soon as Rhett stepped into Bojangles, his hand on the small of Matt's back, he heard a laugh that he could never mistake. Matt noticed his misstep and raised an eyebrow at him. Rhett just shook his head slightly and led him toward the counter. 

After ordering, they made their way to an empty booth, sitting across from one another. "Well, you certainly have a type," Matt said with a smirk after a moment of silence. 

"Wh- what do you mean?" Rhett guffawed. 

Continuing to smirk, he subtly nodded his head in Link's direction. "I'm assuming that the man you are pointedly  _ not _ looking at is your soulmate?" To Rhett's relief, Matt was speaking quietly enough to not be overheard. "He and I could be brothers."

Rhett blushed and stared at his lap. "I guess my  _ initial _ attraction might have had something to do with the similarities. But I promise that's not why I've stayed!" Rhett insisted. 

Matt softened his smile. "I know. I'm teasing. Scott was 6' 4". My thing is tall guys," he said, shrugging. "You know, you've never said why it didn't work out. Was it the 'gay thing'?" Matt stopped to watch Link leave with the short blond girl he had been eating with. 

Their number was called then, and Rhett caught the back of Link's head as he and the girl got into his car. Rhett's heart clutched, but he swallowed it down and brought his and Matt's food back to their table. 

"Honestly, I never asked," Rhett responded, once their food was divvied up. "He hid the fact that we were soulmates from me for almost nine years. He was halfway to drunk when he finally told me,  _ after _ his wife had left him for her soulmate. That's right," Rhett made a flourish with his fork, "he got  _ married _ , then divorced, before he ever told me the truth. I walked away and we haven't talked since."

"So you don't even know  _ why _ he didn't tell you?" Matt asked, bewildered. "I don't think I could move on if I didn't know why."

"Is there even a good enough reason why?" Rhett asked as he took a bite of his beans and rice. "What possible reason would there be that could compel me to forgive him?"

Matt shook his head. "Not forgive. For selfish reasons I'd almost rather you didn't forgive him," he said, winking at Rhett. "But you should be able to move on. You said this is your favorite chicken place and this is the first time we've been in the six months we've been together. I'm assuming because it's also  _ his _ favorite chicken place and we've been avoiding him."

Rhett made a solemn half grin. "Maybe, yeah."

"Exactly. So, maybe talk to him? Find out why? That way me and the man I love can keep moving this relationship forward."

Rhett grinned at Matt. "The man you love?"

Matt grinned back. "Maybe, yeah."

Rhett chuckled. Maybe Matt was right. It was time to stop just avoiding Link and move on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest readers please remember that your views don't log anymore and that comments and kudos are much appreciated. 💖
> 
> Updates will be every other day. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @outofnowhere82


	3. Chapter 3

Link couldn't miss when the 6' 7" man walked into Bojangles, his arm around another guy. Fortunately, he and Shelley were almost done eating and he was able to usher his girlfriend out of the restaurant just after Rhett and his...partner?, Link wondered, sat down. 

Link was quiet on the drive to drop Shelley off at her place, but Shelley was doing enough talking for both of them and didn't notice. He left her with a kiss and a smile and started making his way home. 

It had been easier to pretend he didn't miss Rhett when he hadn't seen him in months. Because he did miss Rhett, if he felt like being honest with himself. He was having definite regrets over letting Rhett walk out that night. 

He should have called Rhett or gone to his apartment in the days after blurting out they were soulmates, but he also thought that Rhett could come back to talk after he had cooled off so they could talk. Then he hadn't come back, and the more days that passed, the more awkward Link felt. Now almost nine months had passed and Link didn't even know what to say. 

Seeing Rhett… Link wasn't entirely sure how he felt. He had tried to do some soul searching, to decide how he really felt about Rhett. As much as he missed Rhett, could he do a relationship with him? Seeing Rhett with  _ that guy _ told him that Rhett had been honest when he said that he didn't care if his soulmate was a guy. But did Link care?

As he drove, he tried to remember the night that Rhett had kissed him. They had both been pretty tipsy, so even if they both had wanted it, it probably wouldn't have been "good," but Link was trying to recall his reaction, beyond the thought of it happening at all.

He supposed that it hadn't been  _ bad _ , all considering. The beard had been different. Maybe not bad? He wasn't sure. Rhett's lips had felt like anyone else's, Link supposed. Perhaps not covered in the pomegranate flavored chapstick Lucy had preferred, but honestly  _ that _ would have made it weird. So kissing Rhett hadn't been awful, but Link couldn't make himself think past that. 

Stepping into his house, Link looked around. Everything looked as it was supposed to, everything clean and in its place. Still, something was missing. The aura Rhett used to leave. His jacket or a hat thrown on the end table and then forgotten until his next visit. Rhett's favorite beer in the fridge and snacks that Rhett ate but Link wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole in the cupboard.

Link flopped down face first on his couch with a moan. These tattoos were supposed to make life easier and if  _ this _ was easier, Link didn't want to know how confused he'd be without the tattoo to guide him. 

◇◇◇◇

It was two weeks later when Link saw Rhett again. This time it was at the coffee house halfway between their places. Link had settled in with his laptop, taking a break and scrolling Reddit before his afternoon work meeting. He didn't know what made him look up, but he did, and there was Rhett, looking down at his phone and smiling. 

_ Probably texting his boyfriend _ , Link thought, absolutely not jealous. Then he shook himself out of it. Rhett was alone. This was Link's chance to talk to him. At least ask if they even  _ could _ talk. 

Link had shut his laptop and was about to stand when the door chimed and he watched Rhett turn his head and the smile on his face grow larger.  _ He _ was here and walked right up to Rhett and kissed him on the corner of his mouth while Rhett wrapped an arm around him.

Link grabbed his laptop and bag and ran out of the coffee house. He missed the green eyes, tinted with sadness, that followed him out the door. 

◇◇◇◇

Link couldn't deny any longer than Rhett was moving on. Rhett was frequenting their own hangouts again and had obviously gotten a boyfriend. Sure, Link had a new girlfriend, but that didn't do anything to lessen his annoyance over the matter. 

Maybe he needed to talk to someone, Link decided. But who? Rhett had always been his go-to. He couldn't talk to Rhett about his problems with Rhett, even if that was probably exactly who he should be talking to. 

Link thought about who he knew. He needed to be comfortable enough with them to share this, but not such a good friend that if they got mad about Link rejecting his soulmate, he couldn't live without them. 

Racking his brain, Link remembered Jeff. They, along with Jeff's partner Paul, had gotten drunk together at the last holiday party when Link had gone alone, since he and Rhett weren't talking. They had been friendly ever since, but since Jeff worked on a different floor they didn't have daily interactions. 

That would work for Link. Some time this week he would try to run into Jeff and see if he'd be up for grabbing lunch together. Feeling better, Link settled into bed and quickly fell asleep. 

◇◇◇◇

"Now Link, I just want to remind you," Jeff said, sliding into the booth across from Link, "I've already found my soulmate, and Paul's not into sharing." He gave Link a teasing grin.

Link chuckled. "Don't worry, it's not you or your soulmate I'm interested in. Actually, I asked you to join me because I was hoping that maybe you could help me with mine."

"Oh?" Jeff asked, excitedly. "You've found your soulmate?"

"Yeah. I've actually known who he was since the tattoo appeared," Link explained, looking sheepish. 

Jeff frowned around the bite of his sandwich. "Is it that guy you were missing back around Christmas? You guys not work things out yet?"

Link blushed. "So here's the thing… I kinda, maybe, didn't tell him I knew we were soulmates for like...eight years." Link bit his lip and cringed, waiting for the reaction. 

"WHAT," Jeff said in disbelief. "What?" he asked, quieter. "Why the hell didn't you tell him? I swear to God, Link. If you say it's because you're not gay…"

"It's not… The thing is-" Link sighed. "I don't think I'm gay? But I haven't talked to him now in nine months. And it's not like I want to suddenly jump his bones, but I miss him so much, and… I don't know. Maybe I could be?"

"Okay," Jeff replied, considering Link's answer. "So, you told him all this and he got mad and won't talk to you anymore?"

"Actually, I never told him any of that." Link hung his head. "As soon as he found out I had been hiding it for so long, he got mad and stormed out. I thought he'd come back after he cooled off, but he didn't."

"And then he never responded to your calls or texts?" Jeff asked. 

"I never-" Link whispered. 

"Well, God dammit, Link!" Jeff rolled his eyes, his voice raising again for a moment and making Link flinch.

"It wasn't  _ his _ job to come back and talk. After giving him some time you should have reached out again." Jeff was clearly exasperated as he continued. "If you're disgusted by being with a man-"

"I'm not  _ disgusted _ , per se," Link interrupted. 

"Okay, well, still. It's a conversation that you need to have with  _ him _ ," Jeff insisted. "Maybe he doesn't care about sex, maybe he's fine with an open relationship. I don't know. But what I  _ do _ know is you need to Talk. To. Him."

Link sighed. "I know."

"Then do it." Jeff took another bite of his sandwich, effectively ending the conversation. 

◇◇◇◇

Link stared at his phone. Before he did this, he needed to have some kind of answer for himself, regardless of what that answer was. 

See, the church had been around since the beginning of man, at least according to them. And the church maintained that homosexuality was wrong. 

Soulmate tattoos, on the other hand, had only been confirmed around for a couple thousand years or so, give or take a century. Link wasn't sure what the statistics were for how long the tattoos had been pairing up same sex couples, but they seemed to be prevalent enough now. 

So the question remained, who was right in all this, God or "the universe." Had God perhaps changed his mind? Maybe the tattoos were his doing and he never clarified his stance with the church because he thought the answer was obvious. 

Link sighed as he opened up the messenger app on his phone and scrolled down to Rhett's contact. He typed out his message and then let his thumb hover over the send button. 

_ Hey, can we talk?  _


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started writing this I was feeling funky, as many of us are right now. Now, I've written to the place I want to stop and usually I'd reread and microedit for weeks, but I need to purge this and go on to something else. So I'm posting this chapter today and the final chapter tomorrow. Then next week I can get back to my regular fluffy stories.

Rhett stared at his phone screen. 

_ Hey, can we talk?  _

Hey?  _ Hey? _ Who does he think he is, saying hey out of nowhere, after months of radio silence. Obviously Link had seen him at least one of the times they had been in the same place. 

_ Hey, can we talk?  _

Rhett paced, staring at his home screen. He didn't want to open the message and have it show a read receipt yet.  _ Could _ they talk? Matt had said again when they met for an afternoon tea and coffee, that he should talk to Link. Then, at least, they wouldn't have to awkwardly avoid each other if they happened to see each other around town. 

Rhett was so engrossed with his thoughts and staring at his phone that he startled when Matt spoke to him, leaning against the threshold of the hall leading to his bedroom. "What's wrong, babe?"

"He texted," Rhett said, flashing his phone at his boyfriend. "He wants to talk."

"And what'd you tell him?" Matt asked, coming into the room and sliding his arms around Rhett's waist, now that he had stopped pacing. 

"Nothing, yet. I-" Rhett growled in frustration. "I'm kinda mad. I decide I'm ready to move on-with the help of my amazing boyfriend," Rhett said, now smiling and leaning down to give Matt a small kiss, "and then after he sees me a couple times, he decides to  _ text _ me? He told me 'hey.' What the hell."

Matt kept his smile to himself. He always found it adorable when Rhett would go on a rant. "Are you mad because he wants to talk? Because he texted? Or because he said  _ hey _ ?"

"Yes," Rhett groused. "Well, no. I don't know." Rhett pulled out of Matt's arms and started pacing again 

"Rhett. What are you really upset about, sweetie?" Matt asked, sitting down on the couch. 

With a sigh Rhett sat down beside him and rubbed both his hands over his face. "You know I love you?"

Matt smiled at Rhett with a soft fondness. "I do. I love you, too."

"Right. So…" Rhett is choking up, just thinking about seeing Link again.  _ Really _ seeing him and sharing space again. "I love Link, too."

Matt nodded. "Of course."

"No. Like-" Rhett took a deep breath. "Even  _ before _ I knew, I loved him. I wished he could have been my soulmate. I'm afraid… I'm afraid I talk to him, I'll forgive him and want to give him another chance."

"I see," Matt said quietly. "So, here's the thing. I'm not gonna lie, I'd be devastated to lose what we have." He paused as he thought about what to say next. " _ But _ , I know what it's like to have been with my soulmate. To have really been with him. And I couldn't keep you from that kind of happiness, if that was what you wanted. I love you too much."

"Matt…," Rhett whispered, pulling the smaller man close and locking their lips together.

◇◇◇◇

_ Ok. _

Then,

_ Suzy's Diner. Tomorrow. 10 am. _

Link kept reading the messages Rhett had sent earlier that day over and over. He couldn't believe it. Rhett had agreed to talk! It had taken him a week to respond, but Link couldn't really fault Rhett for that, since it  _ had _ taken him almost nine months to reach out in the first place. 

Link walked to his closet and stared, trying to decide what to wear the next morning. He didn't want to look like he was trying  _ too _ hard, but he definitely needed to look like he was trying a  _ little. _ Especially since Link hoped they'd come out on the other side of this at the very least friends again. Eventually he settled on a dark blue collared shirt, a pair of dark wash jeans, and his mustard cardigan. 

Setting the outfit out for the next day, Link flopped down on his bed. He could do this. He could apologize. Beg forgiveness for being such an asshole. 

He also needed to talk to Shelley. All she knew was that he had gotten divorced within the last year and that he wasn't in contact with his soulmate, none of the details. They weren't incredibly serious, since they weren't a soul match. If she found out that he was even friends with his soulmate, she'd want to break up. 

That didn't actually bother Link that much, since their relationship wasn't the same as it had been with Lucy. They had discussed the fact that they were just having fun until their soulmate showed up. They would never be more than they were now. After having Rhett gone from his life for so long, he was okay with losing Shelley to get Rhett back. The tradeoff would be more than worth it. 

Finally, after hours of tossing, turning, and overthinking about what he was going to say the next day, Link fell asleep. 

**____**

Link walked into the diner and saw Rhett already sitting at a table. Even though Link had seen him a couple times over the last month, watching Rhett sitting there waiting, shuffling around in his seat and adjusting his shirt over and over, it was like Link was seeing him for the first time since his tattoo appeared. 

This was his soulmate. 


	5. Chapter 5

Rhett had arrived at the diner early. He was afraid if Link was already there when he got there, he might not go in. If Link saw him and didn't come in, then at least he could tell Matt he tried. 

He had spent the last week trying to think about what Link might say and how he would feel about it. If Link really hadn't told him they were soulmates because he didn't want to be seen as gay, then Rhett would tell him what an idiot he was. Truthfully, though, now that Rhett had Matt, he wasn't opposed to continuing to date Matt and acknowledging Link as his soulmate but just staying friends. 

Not that a part of him wouldn't long to have more with Link, but that same part didn't want to hurt Matt. And if that  _ wasn't  _ why Link had kept their status a secret and asked him for more right away, if Link wanted to try having a relationship now, Rhett wasn't sure what he would do. He supposed his best course of action was to control his fidgeting and wait to see what Link had to say.

Rhett took a deep cleansing breath and looked toward the door, eyes locking with a shade of blue he had been missing for months. 

◇◇◇◇

Rhett stilled when he saw Link and Link slowly took the seat across from him. After a few moments of silence, Rhett spoke. "You wanted to talk, Link. So talk."

Link internally cringed. Rhett sounded cold. Impersonal. But it was his fault that Rhett got this way and now he needed to try and fix it. 

"First, even if you don't want to hear it, I'm sorry," Link began. 

"Hmm. And what exactly are you sorry for?" Rhett asked. 

Link sighed. "For not telling you right away. For being too scared to talk back then."

"What were you so afraid of, Link?" Rhett asked, leaning forward and putting his clasped hands on the table. 

"I...especially then, didn't feel gay. I-"

Rhett harumphed, cutting Link off. "Because being gay is so bad? And that I'd immediately  _ make  _ you jump into bed with me? Come on, Link. I thought you knew me better than that," Rhett said, his voice going from disbelief to anger to sadness in a matter of seconds. 

"That's not what I thought! Well, not exactly," Link admitted. "I did think about asking you if you thought soulmates could be platonic, but it was so obvious you'd want more from yours, from me, and I just didn't see a solution."

"And now?" Rhett asked. "What's changed? Are you suddenly comfortable with being with a guy or are you just wanting to be friends?"

Link wished he could get a read on Rhett's feelings, but after so much time apart and everything that had happened, he didn't have the same ability as before. He knew he needed to be honest and hopefully, eventually, Rhett would let him know where he stood. 

"Well, after what an ass I've been, I'd like to get back to where we were as friends," Link said. 

"Just friends?" Rhett asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Link shrugged. "I mean, I'm not suddenly attracted to guys, but I have realized that you're my soulmate and with you things maybe  _ could _ be different. Hopefully. But I've seen you with your boyfriend. I don't know how serious that is-"

"It's serious," Rhett said, cutting him off again. 

Link's heart clenched. "Right. So, if you don't want to give me a chance at being more than friends again, I understand. But if you wanted to…" Link trailed off.

◇◇◇◇

Rhett's heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. Link wanted to give them a real shot, and he seemed sincere about it. He wanted so bad to jump across the table, wrap Link up in his arms, and kiss him like he'd never been kissed before. Only the small voice in the back of his head chanting " _ you love Matt, you love Matt _ " stopped him from doing so.

"I… Link, you hurt me so bad," Rhett said, finally letting his emotions bleed into his words. "When I found out you had kept this a secret for  _ eight years _ -" Rhett closed his eyes and took a breath. "I can't describe how rejected I felt. The immense hole that left. I'd like nothing more to be able to forgive you and move on like nothing happened, but…"

Link looked sheepishly down at his lap. "No, I understand. I deserve that."

"Listen to me, Link," Rhett implored. "I  _ want _ to do that, forgive you. But we need to figure out how to trust each other again. I can't just give up the new life I've built." 

"You're right," Link agreed. "And it wouldn't be fair of me to ask you to. Especially since I'm not sure I can handle the physical aspects of a full on relationship."

Rhett chewed on the inside of his cheek as he considered that. "I'm gonna be honest. I'm not gonna break up with Matt, my boyfriend, until you're sure you know if you can handle that. If you can't give me everything, that's fine, but Matt  _ can _ give me what I need. Not to sound like a pig, but I can't be celibate the rest of my life, even for you." Rhett gave Link a remorseful grin.

Link returned the same smile. "That's...fair." He began twisting his hands in his lap. "Could-can I ask for one thing now? Just in case… in case this all doesn't work out?"

Rhett furrowed his brows. "You can ask…"

"Can I kiss you? I just, I need to know what that's like-"

This time Rhett interrupted him by standing and walking around the table, taking Link's hand, and pulling him up into his arms. On this, he felt the same as Link. If nothing else, he needed this, needed to know how Link felt against him, how he tasted. He just hoped Matt would be understanding. 

"You're not forgiven, but I'll let you keep talking," Rhett said, gently pressing their lips together. 

Rhett wasn't ready to pardon Link's behavior over the last almost year, but he did need to figure out how Link was going to fit in his new life. Maybe they could work it out and be together, maybe they couldn't. Either way, Rhett needed Link in his life. That much he knew. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, I'm not happy with the ending. I've changed it three times. I don't know if they ever end up together. Maybe they end up in a nice triad? I wouldn't mind witnessing that. Basically, you get to decide how things work out.


	6. One Year Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year has passed with Rhett and Link in their new...relationship? Link doesn't really know what to call it, but he's ready to start pushing his comfort zone and figuring it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you mean I was supposed to be working on Dorms and Dreamers? Or maybe the next installment of CtoC? So what if I said this story was finished. I changed my mind. 
> 
> Please note that this is approximately a year after the last chapter.
> 
> Thank you @criminalmind1927 for being my beta. I now have probably 3-4 more chapters in the works for this and the angst is basically over. Now on to self discovery!

Link and Rhett had been doing….whatever it was they were doing for a little over a year now. Link guessed that you could call it dating, but it was the slowest moving relationship he had ever been in. 

They had regained most of their old easy comradery, with a few additional touches. Literally. Link had grown comfortable with small shows of affection between him and Rhett. They now held hands on a regular basis, cuddled often when they watched movies, and kissed hello and goodbye. 

They hadn't had sex, yet, though. Link still wasn't sure if he was ready for that. After their "anniversary" dinner and a few glasses of wine, they had made out for a while and Link had started to get hard. That was the first time their kissing had extended beyond maybe a handful of kisses at a time, and Link had to admit that he really kinda liked it. 

Rhett and Matt were still living together, and honestly Link didn't mind. He and Matt got along well, and Matt didn't seem to be jealous of his and Rhett's relationship. He wasn't jealous of Rhett and Matt's relationship, either. Link knew Matt could give things that Link couldn't. Honestly, Link felt like having Matt around took the pressure off of him to be the perfect partner for Rhett. 

Despite Link not having sex with Rhett, he wasn't seeking it out elsewhere, even though Rhett had assured him that he wouldn't be offended if he did. Rhett was having regular sex with Matt after all. It didn't seem fair to Rhett to demand Link be celibate if he wasn't willing to have sex with him. Still, although Link wasn't sure if he was ready to have sex with Rhett, he knew for sure looking for sex elsewhere would feel like giving up to him, and he wasn't ready for that, either. 

What he did think he was ready for, was another makeout session with Rhett. He wondered if Rhett touching him and him touching Rhett over his clothes could get him hard again, especially while sober. 

A nervous excitement coursed through his body at the thought, so he was cautiously optimistic that his dick would end up on board with the idea. And if he was using the fact that his dick was touch starved for something besides his own hand, so be it. He always believed in working with what you had. 

Tonight Rhett was coming over for their weekly "date night." They went out or hung out at one of their homes usually multiple times a week, but Thursday nights they had a standing date, no matter what else was going on with their lives. 

Link had Korean delivered and had picked out a movie they had seen together multiple times so he wouldn't be tempted to watch it instead of focusing on his mission to make out with Rhett until he was good and horny. Then, after Rhett left, if all went well, he could run to the bathroom and unload. 

He was in the middle of plating their food when there was a knock at the door. Link could feel his nerves settling in his stomach as he walked to open it. Rhett greeted him with a smile and a bottle of wine. 

Link ushered Rhett inside and shut the door behind him. He quickly turned and latched his arms around Rhett's neck and stood on his tiptoes in order to meet Rhett's lips. Rhett grunted in surprise, but then cautiously wrapped his own arms around Link's waist. Their "hello" kisses were usually a more chaste meeting of the lips. 

This time Link opened his mouth slightly and swiped his tongue along Rhett's lip. Rhett opened his mouth to grant Link access, but then Link was pulling back. He immediately began talking to stop the surprise in Rhett's eyes from making their way out his mouth and asking Link an awkward question. 

"I got us bulgogi. I couldn't decide between Korean or barbecue, so I compromised and got both." Link giggled and let his eyes silently beg Rhett not to examine his actions too closely. 

Rhett looked confused for a moment but then leaned down for another kiss. This one was more reminiscent of their usual chaste kiss, but he let it linger. When he stood up straight again, he was smiling down at Link. "You always know just what I want."

Link blushed, somehow feeling that Rhett wasn't talking about the food. 

"Come on," Link said, stepping away from Rhett. "I was getting our food ready when you knocked. Do you want some of this wine? I was just going to have some sparkling water."

Rhett quirked an eyebrow slightly and Link tried to swallow down his nerves. It wasn't like Link  _ never _ had water with his meals, but beer or wine was definitely more the norm at dinnertime. 

"No, don't open the bottle just for me. I'll have a beer. Or water, if you don't have that."

"No, I have beer," Link assured him. "I'll grab everything and you start the movie?"

"Sure thing." Rhett gave him a warm smile and a quick squeeze to the back of his arm before heading to the den.

When Rhett was out of sight, Link took a few deep breaths. He could do this. He  _ wanted _ to do this. It wasn't like Rhett would object. And if Link got uncomfortable halfway in, he knew that Rhett wouldn't push him or be mad that Link hadn't followed through with some unspoken promise.

Link loaded their plates and drinks onto a serving tray and willed himself not to shake too much as he carried it. 

Rhett looked bemused and playfully chided Link when he sat down on the couch beside him. "Star Wars again?"

"Hey, it's a classic," Link said, defending his choice. "Plus, we've both been busy this week, so if we decide to talk or...whatever, we won't miss anything important."

A frown shadowed Rhett's face. "I'm sorry I haven't had much time for you this week. Matt was just so sick over the weekend, and even the beginning of the week he was still-"

Link smiled and put a hand on his knee to quiet him. "It's okay. I wasn't complaining. I'm glad that Matt has you to take care of him when he needs it. He deserves it. And it's not like you didn't stay with me last fall when that bronchitis kicked my butt. I only meant that we might decide to spend our time together doing more than sitting together quietly." 

Rhett nodded, lingering doubt in his expression, but started eating with his typical enthusiasm. Link smiled and tucked into his own food. 

Even though Rhett finished his food first, Link made sure to be done by the time the previews had ended. Sure they were at home and not in a theater, but Link liked to have the whole experience. Plus, he hated to hear himself chew when he was trying to watch something. 

Link shuffled down and turned into Rhett's side, letting Rhett wrap an arm around his shoulder and pull him closer. Link's heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings. He was certain Rhett could feel it against his ribs. Trying to steal his nerves, Link shifted and slid a foot over Rhett's leg. Rhett didn't acknowledge the move and Link relaxed slightly. 

Slowly as he could, Link tilted his head up and pecked Rhett on the neck. When Rhett didn't address the kiss, Link did it again. 

"Link?" Rhett asked, tilting his head. 

Link tried not to let himself start shaking. "Please… Let me?"

Rhett didn't say anything, just slid his finger under Link's chin and angled it up, slowly moving closer and giving Link time to move away if he wanted. Link felt like a scared rabbit, but held still, letting Rhett's mouth ascend on his. 

Link could still taste the barbecue on Rhett's lips. Link opened his mouth and swiped his tongue at Rhett, hoping to gather more of the unique combination of flavors in Rhett's mouth. Rhett moaned into the kiss, letting Link explore with just the occasional suck on his tongue and smack of their lips. 

Link felt his body begin to tingle in response and grabbed Rhett's shoulder to anchor himself. Rhett took that as permission to touch and rolled to better face Link, sliding one hand behind Link's head with gentle ease and the other around him to settle on the small of his back. The tips of Rhett's fingers slid under the hem of Link's shirt, caressing his skin and making Link gasp slightly. 

Link held on tighter, giving his body over to the sensations. Rhett had begun kissing and nipping at Link's neck. Link rolled onto his back and tried to pull Rhett down on the top of him. Rhett sat back and surveyed Link. "Are you sure?"

Link nodded. "Don't overthink it. Just...clothes on, but I want you to touch me."

Link watched in amazement as Rhett's eyes immediately turned black with desire. 

"Tell me if I go too far."

Link nodded and spread his legs in an obvious invitation. "I trust you."

Rhett groaned and took his place between Link's legs, grabbing onto Link's hips and lining their crotches up. Link inhaled sharply when he felt without a doubt how turned on Rhett was. 

"Okay?" Rhett confirmed again. 

Link nodded and raised his hips up to grind against Rhett's erection, pleased to feel his own dick filling in response. 

Even though Link wasn't ready to start losing articles of clothing, he did want more skin on skin contact. Rhett was still holding his upper body slightly off of Link, so he ran his hands under the front of Rhett's shirt and let his fingers tangle in Rhett's chest hair. 

"You're absolutely going to kill me," Rhett groaned before capturing Link's lips again and beginning to rock his hips. 

Link felt like he had so many thoughts running through his head but nothing he could make himself settle on. His body was on fire, desire quickly overtaking him, and it was Rhett's doing. 

A part of Link started to think that they could have been doing this for  _ years  _ if he hadn't been such a coward. Another, smarter part of his brain reminded himself that he definitely hadn't been ready and he would have hurt Rhett more if they had tried this at 18. No. This,  _ now, _ was perfect. Rhett grinding down into Link and Link thrusting up to meet Rhett. 

He had to abandon their kiss and was panting against Rhett's ear. Rhett didn't seem to mind, moving his mouth to Link's ear and nibbling. In response, Link started scratching his nails over Rhett's chest. He caught on Rhett's nipple and stopped to rub his fingertips over the raised and sensitive nub.

Link was overwhelmed by everything happening. Rhett around him, grinding against him, Rhett's skin under his fingers. Without warning, Rhett grazed his teeth on the top of Link's shoulder and bit down. Link cried out Rhett's name as he felt his balls tighten and his wet release dampening his pants. Rhett moaned against his cheek and sped up his hips until he too was filling his underwear with come. 

Still panting, Rhett rested his head against Link's as they came down. As Link became aware of his surroundings, he once again heard the movie in the background. He couldn't help but start laughing. "Aren't you glad now that I chose something we've already seen?"

Rhett looked confused for a moment, then remembered their earlier conversation. He joined in with Link's laughter. They stayed on the couch, laughing and sharing light kisses until they had the energy to move and clean up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did *start* the next chapter of Dorms and Dreamers, so maybe I'll finish that today or tomorrow?


	7. Chapter 7

"Is Matt going to be mad?" Link whispered into Rhett's beard after they had cleaned up and returned to the couch. He had thought about asking Rhett to get in his bed with him, but the couch felt more like neutral space, and thus safer. Disregarding the fact that they had already essentially had sex on it earlier that night. 

Rhett shifted to be able to see Link's face. "What?"

"Is Matt going to be mad? That this happened?" Link asked, an uneasy feeling settling over him. 

Link watched the muscle in Rhett's jaw work before he responded. "Matt knows something like this happening was always a possibility. That I wouldn't turn you down if you offered."

"That doesn't really let me know if he's going to hate me now," Link murmured. 

"No, he's not going to hate you," Rhett assured him, hugging him tight. "If you think this might happen again, I'll definitely have to have another talk with him and make sure we're on the same page." Rhett was quiet for a minute or so then kissed Link's temple. "Do you think you'll want to do something like this again?"

Link choked on a laugh. "I didn't plan on doing it  _ this _ time. But… maybe? I don't know. Is that okay?"

"Honey, I wasn't sure you'd ever want to do this even once," Rhett admitted. "If it happens again, I'll consider it a bonus. If it doesn't happen, I'll still consider myself lucky for it having happened this time."

"If I wanted to have sex again, or on a regular basis, would you and Matt break up?" Link didn't want that to happen. Even if he one day he was completely comfortable with all forms of sex with Rhett, Link knew that Matt provided Rhett with a lot more than just sexual release. 

Matt was more emotionally available than Link was generally. Link had a hard time talking about things like emotions, either ignoring them or making jokes. Link could distract Rhett if he was upset, but Matt could support Rhett in ways that Link wasn't sure he would ever be able to. He wouldn't feel right taking that from Rhett. 

Rhett was also such a caring and doting person. Sometimes Link just needed his space to recharge. Matt accepted Rhett's devotion with dignity and love. 

Plus, Link didn't necessarily think that you could only love one person, whether that be in a lifetime or at a time. It was ridiculous to him to make people believe that if they never met their soulmate that they were doomed to loneliness. There would always be that intangible  _ something  _ that differentiated Rhett's relationship with him from Rhett's relationship with Matt, regardless of where life took them. 

Rhett cocked his head toward Link. "That's something I would have to talk to him about. Would you  _ want  _ us to break up?" Rhett asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice. 

"No!" Link was quick to reply. "That's not what I meant. I don't want to be the reason you guys broke up. You're good for each other."

"Mmmm. And if you wanted more from me?" Rhett asked. "More of my time? My emotional energy? To live together?"

Link thought for a moment. "I...wouldn't be opposed to the three of us living together."

Link felt Rhett jolt in surprise. "Really?"

Link nodded. "I'm serious, I don't want to be the reason you guys broke up. He can be there for you in ways I can't. I-I kinda love him for it," Link admitted. 

Rhett hummed. "Good to know. I'll mention that to him. He'd probably be pleasantly surprised. He...he's never hated you or anything close. He's always wanted us to work things out."

"Matt has to be the second least selfish man I know," Link said. 

"Oh, and who's the first?" Rhett asked. 

Link chuckled. "You, of course."

Rhett snorted. "I've been doing my best not to have to give up on you  _ or _ Matt. That's hardly selfless."

"Maybe," Link agreed. "But you give yourself to both of us so freely. Neither of us could ask for a better partner."

"Partner, huh? You've never called me that before."

Link blushed and turned his head into Rhett's neck. "I...well, aren't we? In a manner of speaking?"

Rhett chuckled. "Of course. In any manner of speaking you want."

◇◇◇◇

Link waited anxiously for Matt to arrive at the coffee house. Sure, he, Matt, and Rhett had all hung out together, but this was different. If things were going to work out with Rhett like he hoped they would, Matt would need to be on board as well. 

Matt flashed Link a big grin when he entered the shop and Link gave a tentative wave. After Matt had ordered his coffee, he surprised Link by greeting him with a big hug.

"Uh, hey man. How're you doing?" Link asked after Matt released him.

Matt kept that same happy grin on his face as he responded. "I'm doing great! Especially now that yours and Rhett's relationship actually seems to be going somewhere."

Link wasn't sure if he should be blushing in embarrassment that Rhett had obviously told Matt what happened, be relieved that he didn't have to be the one to break the news to Matt, or confused that Matt seemed so happy about it. 

"So, I take it Rhett told you what happened."

"Well, he didn't give me details," Matt said with a laugh. "Although you're both attractive men, so I can't say I would mind if he did." Matt winked at him and this time Link did blush.

"So you're not mad? You don't hate me?" Link asked tentatively. 

Matt chuckled. "Not at all. Rhett being happy makes me happy. And I knew before he ever met with you a year ago that Rhett would never turn you down if you made an offer. Even if you guys end up getting more serious, I'll still be happy. I love Rhett and I want what's best for him."

"I do, too," Link agreed. "That's...actually why I wanted to talk to you today."

"Oh?" Matt asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

Link's stomach was rolling. Sure Matt had been great about sharing so far, but what if, when things got serious, Matt would make Rhett choose? 

"I don't want to make Rhett choose," Link blurted out. Matt looked at him like he didn't quite understand, and Link continued. "Between us, I mean. I don't know how far things will end up going between Rhett and me, or how often, or whatever." Link spun his coffee in his hands as he talked.

"I want… I hope you…" Link huffed. He knew he was saying this all wrong. "I don't want Rhett to have to choose between us and I'd like to keep all of our relationships open between the three of us. If-if you'd be open to that."

Matt sat back in his chair and took a swallow of coffee as he regarded Link. "You surprise me, Link. I figured that once you got over your nerves, you'd want Rhett all to yourself."

Link shook his head vehemently. "Are you kidding? I'm still a mess. Probably always will be. I'm gonna need Rhett reassuring me every step of the way. And he needs you. He loves you, too. And sure, push come to shove, he'd probably pick me, but he wouldn't be his whole self. You complete a different part of him than I do, and I don't want him to be missing a part of himself."

"You impress me, Link," Matt admitted, after a moment of contemplation. "I've had you pegged as kinda being selfish and immature about all this. Like you're cool to hang out with, and I do like you, but things were really rough for him at first."

Link grimaced but bobbed his head in agreement. Matt wasn't wrong. 

"I love Rhett more than myself and would step aside if either of you asked me to. But if you're willing to let me hang around and the three of us can try to find our new normal? That makes me happier than I could ever explain."

Link released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and lunged forward, wrapping Matt back up in his arms. "Thank you. That may seem weird for me to say, but thank you."

Matt chuckled and returned the embrace. "No, thank  _ you." _

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to leave these chapters in good places in case I don't come back, but there's a potential 2 or more chapters I may end up adding. You never know.


End file.
